James White: 'Whatever I Have To Do, I'm Going To Do It'
FOXBORO (CBS) -- In the Patriots locker room, there's never much time for moping. It is always, simply, "next man up."
Now, in the wake of Dion Lewis suffering a torn ACL and being out for the rest of the season, that mantra applies to the running back group.
More specifically, a spotlight shifts to James White, the second-year back who's been behind Shane Vereen and then Lewis on the depth chart over the past two seasons. But now with Lewis out, White fits the bill -- at least for the short term -- as the replacement to catch passes out of the backfield.
That's something for which White is prepared.
"For me, whatever arises, whatever my role is for this team, I'm gonna go out there and help this team, no matter what it is," White said Monday in the locker room. "I think everybody practices like they're the starter, like they're going to be playing 100 snaps every game. So when you get your opportunity, no matter how many snaps it is, we go out there and we try to do whatever we can to help move the chains for our team."
READ: Life After Lewis
White, 23, has just 16 carries for 53 yards and 12 receptions for 75 yards in his NFL career. In three preseason games this summer, he rushed for 71 yards and one touchdown on 21 carries (2.6YPC) and he caught seven passes for 93 yards. In his senior season at Wisconsin in 2013, he rushed for 1,444 yards and 13 touchdowns, while also catching 39 passes for 300 yards and two more scores.
At 5-foot-10 and 204 pounds, White is a couple of inches taller than Lewis but will likely play a similar role in the offense. Yet White made sure to note that there's no way that he can do exactly what Lewis does on a football field.
"You've just got to be yourself. You can't be Superman and do exactly what he was doing," White said. "I'm doing whatever I can. My role may be different to what his role is. You never know what it is. Whatever I have to do, I'm going to do it.
"[Lewis] gave us a lot of great performances. Me, Brandon [Bolden], [LeGarrette Blount], we've just got to pick up the slack for him."
That effort will begin Sunday afternoon in New Jersey, when the 8-0 Patriots visit the 5-4 Giants.
